Wake Forest Athletics
Gridiron Deacs Hit The Road; Look To Rebound At Duke
10/13/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 13, 2003
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WFU FOOTBALL NEWS & NOTES
Game #7
Oct. 18, 2003
Wake Forest (3-3, 1-2 ACC) at Duke (2-4, 0-3 ACC)
Wallace Wade Stadium (33,941)/Durham, NC
Kickoff: 12 noon
Television: Broadcast as the ACC Game of the Week by Jefferson-Pilot Sports. Steve Martin calls the play-by-play, with Rick 'Doc" Walker providing analysis and Mike Hogewood on the sidelines.
Radio: Broadcast by the Wake Forest ISP Sports Network, heard on 16 stations across North Carolina and in Virginia. Full station listing is on page 10 of this package. Voice of the Deacons Stan Cotten calls the play-by-play with former WFU great Ed Bradley serving as color analyst.
On the Internet: With the purchase of a paid subscription, the radio broadcast can be heard live over the web via WFU's athletics homepage: www.WakeForestSports.com.
The Series: Saturday's game marks the 84th meeting between WFU and Duke. The Blue Devils lead the series 53-28-2, but WFU has won the last three meetings.
Records: WFU is 3-3 with a 1-2 mark in ACC play. Duke is 2-4 and looking for their first ACC win of the season, currently with an 0-3 league mark.
Rankings: Neither team is ranked.
The Coaches: Wake Forest head coach Jim Grobe owns a 16-14 mark in his third season with the Deacs. Now in his ninth season as a head coach, Grobe's career record stands at 49-47-1. Duke's Carl Franks is in his fifth season as a head coach. He has an overall record of 7-44, all with the Blue Devils.
Deacs Begin Two-Game Road Stretch, First Up: Duke
Wake Forest plays the first of consecutive road games (the only such stretch of the season) when it travels down I-40 to Duke on Saturday, Oct. 18. The game, televised regionally by JP Sports, will kick off at 12 noon.
The Demon Deacons (3-3, 1-2 ACC) are coming off a disappointing 24-7 loss to Georgia Tech in its most recent outing. In fact, WFU has lost two straight going into Wallace Wade Stadium, the first time in over two years the Deacs have dropped consecutive games.
Duke is 2-4 in 2003 and looking for its first conference win of the season. After a season-opening loss to Virginia, the Devils have also lost to Florida State and most recently, Maryland, in ACC play. The Blue Devils also bring a losing skid into Saturday's tilt, having lost their last three games.
Wake Forest will attempt to tie its longest winning streak against Duke as it goes for its fourth straight win over the Blue Devils on Saturday. Overall, Duke leads the 115-year-old series 53-28-2.
Last Time Out: Georgia Tech Douses Deacs' Homecoming
Georgia Tech held Wake Forest to its lowest scoring output in the Jim Grobe era and spoiled WFU's Homecoming by exiting Groves Stadium with a 24-7 victory last Saturday.
The Deacs never seemed to get on track, as they were held scoreless in the opening half for the first time since last year's Maryland game (Nov. 30). The half ended with a blocked field goal attempt Ryan Plackemeier and a 7-0 Georgia Tech lead.
Despite the lack of production, Wake Forest trailed by just three points late in the third quarter. Running back Chris Barclay, the Deacs' bright spot of the day, ran for a career-best 124 yards, including a four-yard touchdown run that ended up being WFU's lone score. His touchdown made it 10-7 with less than four minutes to go in the third.
Georgia Tech quickly responded, however, as freshman quarterback Reggie Ball found Jonathan Smith for a 65-yard TD bomb less than 90 seconds later. The duo had already connected on a 55-yarder earlier in the game. That score, which made it 17-7, seemed to erase any momentum the Deacs might have had going into the final stanza. The Yellow Jackets tacked on a late touchdown for the final 17-point margin
As has been the case in every game this season, Wake Forest was outgained in total offense (441 to 277). It was the fourth time this season the Deacs have given up at least 400 yards of total offense, and the second time in 2003 that WFU failed to reach the 300-yard mark in offense.
More Notes From The Georgia Tech Game
* The loss to Georgia Tech gives the Deacs an 7-19 record all-time against Georgia Tech and also marks the third straight game in the series that has been won by the visiting team.
* The loss also halted a streak of 10 games in which WFU has won coming off a loss. The Deacs had not lost back-to-back games since dropping three in a row in September, 2001.
* The highlight of the game for WFU was Chris Barclay's 124-yard rushing performance. It was his first career 100-yard rushing game and the first for Wake since Tarence Williams tallied 108 yards at Maryland in last year's regular-season finale. Barclay's rushing total also pushed him over the 1,000-career-yard mark, the 31st Demon Deacon in school history to reach that plateau. Just halfway through his sophomore year, he now ranks 27th all-time at WFU with 1,075 career yards.
* Georgia Tech's touchdown on its opening drive marked the first time since the season opener at Boston College that Wake Forest has given up a first quarter touchdown. The Eagles also scored on their opening drive of that game. Wake Forest, meanwhile, was held scoreless in the first quarter for the second straight game and for the third time this season. WFU was actually held scoreless in the first half, the second half this season it's been shutout (second half vs. Purdue).
* Ryan Plackemeier's 25-yard field goal attempt just before halftime was blocked, just the first blocked kick against Wake Forest this season. It also halted a streak of five straight made field goals for Plackemeier.
* Yellow Jacket Jonathan Smith's 194 receiving yards (on seven receptions) were the most against Wake Forest in 10 years -- since NC State's Eddie Goines had 207 on five catches in 1993. It also marked the fourth straight year a Georgia Tech receiver has tallied at least 100 yards against Wake Forest.
* Georgia Tech running back P.J. Daniels' 175 rushing yards were also a season-high by a Deacon opponent and the most since Maryland's Bruce Perry set a WFU opponent record with 275 yards in 2001.
Scouting the Blue Devils
The Duke Blue Devils bring a three-game losing streak into Saturday's matchup with Wake Forest and look to post their first ACC victory since a 48-35 victory over Wake Forest on Nov. 13, 1999.
Duke's two victories so far this season have come against Western Carolina (29-3) and an overtime triumph over Rice (27-24).
Duke presents an interesting challenge for Wake Forest in the fact that the Blue Devils lead the league in average time of possession (33:14). The Deacons, on the other hand, rank last in the league in that category (27:34).
Duke and Wake Forest currently rank 7-8 in the ACC in total offense, with the Blue Devils averaging nearly 24 yards per game than the Deacs (344.0 to 320.2). The two teams are nearly equal in rushing yardage, with WFU leading by a very small margin (155.0 ypg to 154.7).
Although the offensive yardage numbers are similar, WFU has been able to put more points on the board -- 24.2 to the Devils' league-low 15.5 points per game.
Saturday's game will feature two of the conference's top all-purpose specialists in WFU's Willie Idlette and Duke's Chris Douglas. Idlette currently ranks fourth in the league with 114.5 yards per game, while Douglas is right behind him with 113.7 an outing. Most of Douglas' yardage comes on the ground, as he ranks third in the ACC with 78.7 rushing yards per game and three touchdowns.
Two quarterbacks have seen action for the Blue Devils this season. Starter Mike Schneider, a freshman, has taken the most snaps, completing 70 of 147 passes for 854 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions. Junior Adam Smith is 29 of 58 on the season for 269 and two TD tosses. Smith also has a rushing touchdown.
Although neither is listed as a starter on the depth chart, juniors Khary Sharpe and Lance Johnson lead the Blue Devil receiving corps with 15 catches each. Senior starter Reggie Love has a team-high three receiving touchdowns in just 12 catches.
Duke ranks seventh in the league in scoring defense, giving up 28.5 points per game, and is allowing its opponents to score 90.5 percent of the time in the red zone. But two Blue Devil defenders rank among the league's top 10 in tackles. Safety Terrell Smith ranks fourth with 11.2 stops a game, while linebacker Ryan Fowler is ninth with 9.8 tackles. Junior Phillip Alexander has been a big playmaker at defensive end, as he ranks second in the league in sacks (6.0), tackles for loss (14.0), tied for first in fumbles recovered (2) and tied for fifth in fumbles forced (2).
The Series With Duke
* Wake Forest has won three straight games against Duke and five of the last seven.
* The Deacs have won 28 games over the Blue Devils in a rivalry that began in 1889 -- the second-oldest series in school history. Duke leads the overall series 53-28-2.
* Wake Forest has actually fared better on the road than at home in this series -- winning 15 games at Duke's Wallace Wade Stadium. The Deacs have recorded just 10 home wins versus Duke.
* Five of the last 10 meetings have been decided by eight points or less.
* With a victory in 2003, the Deacons could match their longest winning streak against Duke -- four games.
* Wake Forest has won three of the last four meetings at Groves Stadium.
* The two teams have rung up 357 combined points in their last six games -- an average of 59.5 points.
* Former Deac QB Rusty LaRue set NCAA pass completion records for a half (41) and a game (55) versus Duke in 1995.
Deacon-Devil Connections
* Wake Forest redshirt freshmen James Adams and Josh Gattis hail from Durham and attended Northern Durham High School.
* Wake's Brian Woychik and Duke's Micah Harris are both from Poland, Ohio, although they attended different high schools.
* Wake placekicker Matt Wisnosky and Duke safety Mark Thompson were teammates at Moorestown High School in New Jersey.
* Two Canadians could see action on Saturday -- Wake's Mark Moroz and Duke's Chris Best (Calgary).
* Deacon assistant athletic director for football, Bill Faircloth, was an assistant coach at Duke in 1976 and 1977.
* Deacon assistant coach Kevin Sherman and Duke head coach Carl Franks were not on the same staff at VMI, but both got their first Division I job at the Lexington (Va.) school. Sherman was a Keydet assistant from 1993-96. Franks was at VMI in 1985.
Offensive Numbers Off The Mark
In 2002, Wake Forest led the ACC with 408.1 yards of total offense and 241.2 rushing yards per game. Wake Forest outgained its opponents in total offense in seven of 13 games and out-rushed them in all but four contests.
Halfway through this year, the Deacs are averaging nearly 88 yards less in total offense (320.2 ypg). WFU's first six opponents have all outgained it by an average of 114.2 yards per game. The hallmark of WFU's offense the last two years, its ground game, is averaging 155.0 yards per contest -- an average of 86 fewer yards than a year ago.
Wake Forest's impressive 2-0 start in 2003 (its best since 1999) with wins over Boston College and NC State may have diminished the fact that eight offensive starters graduated off last year's team. And the Deacon ground game took an early hit when all three running backs went down with injuries in the season-opening first quarter at BC. Chris Barclay and Cornelius Birgs both sprained ankles, while Dominic Anderson suffered a season-ending leg injury.
The running game appears to be on the rise, however. After recording just 56 rushing yards against Purdue on Sept. 13 (the lowest rushing total of the Jim Grobe era at WFU), the Deacs have averaged 170.7 yards on the ground over the last three games. Barclay recorded the Deacs' first 100-yard rushing game of the season with 124 yards versus Georgia Tech in the team's last outing. Both he and Birgs appear to be fully recovered from their injuries, while true freshman D'Angelo Bryant, first thrown into action versus ECU, appears capable of providing a spark in the backfield.
Not Allowing The Big Points
Wake Forest is one of just two teams in the ACC (the other being Florida State) that has not given up 30 points to any opponent this season. Boston College's 28 points in its loss to WFU in the season opener was the most scored on the Deacs so far this year. Florida State surrendered 22 points in its loss to Miami last week.
Every other ACC school has allowed at least 30 points to at least one opponent. Clemson (30 by Georgia), Georgia Tech (39 by Clemson), Maryland (35 by FSU) and Virginia (30 by Clemson) have only allowed it once. Duke has given up 30 twice, NC State has three times, and UNC has allowed 30 points in five of its six games so far this year.
Clabo A Key Cog On The Line
Offensive lineman Tyson Clabo should be considered as one of the ACC's most versatile, as well as reliable, offensive linemen. Clabo owns 31 career starts, 30 consecutive nods. In an unofficial survey of OL starts, Clabo's numbers rank among the top 30 nationally and fourth in the ACC behind NC State's Chris Colmer, Maryland's Lamar Bryant and Duke's Drew Strojny.
Entering the 2003 season as the Deacs' left guard, Clabo has started at three positions (LG, LT, RT) along the line through the first half of the season. After starting in a different spot in each of the last three games, Clabo is expected to start at left tackle versus Duke.
Gattis Gets 'Em Covered
Despite playing behind three-year starter and honors candidate Quintin Williams, redshirt freshman free safety Josh Gattis has quickly made a name for himself with an impressive number of tackles and some hard-hitting stops this season.
The Durham, N.C. product has tallied 22 tackles (18 solo) and forced one fumble. But he's really made an impact on special teams, as he is often the first one downfield making the stop on the opponent's return man.
Gattis has recorded four tackles on punt returns, including two for negative yardage. He's also made the stop on two kickoff returns.
Gattis' play has helped WFU rank first in the ACC in bst kickoff coverage (19.5 ypr). The Deacs also rank fifth in punt coverage (6.2 ypr).
Idlette Making An Impact
Redshirt freshman Willie Idlette has quickly shown he's one of the top newcomers in the ACC this season. In addition to the three touchdowns he's already scored (see later note), Idlette is the league's top freshman and the only rookie among the top 10 leaders in all-purpose yardage (114.5 ypg). He's also the highest-ranking freshman and third overall in punt returns (10.2 ypr) and is fourth among ACC rookies (seventh overall) in kickoff returns (21.2).
In fact, Idlette has already set a new WFU class record for redshirt freshman in all-purpose yardage. Morgan Kane set the record with 596 yards in 1996. Just halfway through the season, Idlette already has 687 all-purpose yards.
"Bounce-Back" Streak Halted By Georgia Tech
Wake Forest's loss to Georgia Tech halted an interesting streak that had lasted two years. Prior to this year's loss to Virginia, the Demon Deacons had bounced back to win every game immediately following its last 10 losses. In other words, before losing to the Yellow Jackets last week, WFU had not lost two games in a row since a three-game skid versus Maryland, FSU and NC State early in the 2001 campaign.
On This Date in WFU History
Over the years, Wake Forest has put together a 5-10 mark on Oct. 18, although the Deacs have won the last two games on this date ... WFU has gone 4-6 in road games on Oct. 18 ... Wake Forest is 2-3 in ACC games on this date and is 4-6 all-time against ACC schools ... Wake has never played Duke on this date however ... in fact, the last four games on Oct. 18 have all been against Maryland ... WFU is 0-1 against ranked teams on this date, a 27-0 shutout against No. 19 Maryland in 1975.
Coming Up Next
Wake Forest plays consecutive road games for the first (and only) time all season as it heads to Tallahassee, Fla. for a matchup with seventh-ranked Florida State on Saturday, Oct. 25. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. with an ABC regional broadcast.
